1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a long size automobile windshield molding to be installed together with a metallic core material against a windshield installed in an automobile body panel window opening section.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, around a peripheral edge of a windshield installed in an automobile body panel window opening section or a roof panel side edge, a windshield molding serving both as a sealant and a decorative material is installed. For example, between a windshield periphery and an opening edge of a vehicle body panel window opening section, a long and narrow space is formed consecutively, and both a seal and a decoration for said space are performed by embedding a long size lacy body in this long and narrow space. Further, in a long and narrow space formed from a windshield side section to a roof panel, a long size lacy body is frequently embedded.
Though an automobile molding installed consecutively in such different vehicle body sections is also equipped with both a decorative section for covering beltlike an outside surface of a vehicle body panel similarly to other moldings and an installation section embedded and fixed by projecting from this decorative section toward an interior side of the vehicle body panel, among them, the ones fixing a metallic core material constituting a molding supporting frame to a vehicle body panel side with bolts or clips are exemplified in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 137213/1984, Japanese Utility Model Registration Laid-Open Publication No. 2810/1986, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 289427/1987 or U.S. Pat. No. 50099460.
With regard to a molding having a metallic core material, a vehicle windshield outside surface is pressed closely against a vehicle body panel side with the metallic core material, and the windshield is fixed to a predetermined regulated height position. Owing to this, a water leakage preventive function for the windshield can be improved.
Though an automobile molding is usually molded in a long size form by an extrusion molding, especially in case of producing a molding installed in different vehicle body sections, a method that after molding separately each of plural lacy fragments having a form corresponding to each vehicle body panel section by an extrusion molding in the first place, each of those lacy fragments is connected in a long size form with joint members is generally adopted. However, a molding having a structure of connecting these plural lacy fragments presents problems with its decoration or sealing function.
From this point of view, a windshield molding is formerly proposed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 291721/1988 or Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 244820/1989, by which after an overall length of a certain basic form molding is molded in succession by an extrusion molding the first place, then unnecessary parts are removed by cutting a part of its molding so as to have different cross sectional forms along their lengthwise directions.
However, with regard to such conventional molding, a molding form is limited only to a form capable of molding by cutting and the molding quality also has its limit. Further, a molding to transform a cross sectional structure of no cutting sections can not be allowed. For example, a molding transforming a cross section of an installation section embedded in a vehicle body panel side in the lengthwise direction while keeping uniformly a cross sectional form of a decorative section extending beltlike on the vehicle body panel outside surface through its overall length, or a molding transforming separately the decorative section and the installation section, cannot be molded by said cutting process.
With regard to a molding having said metallic core materials, generally, the metallic core materials are arranged through its overall length so that a transformation into an optional form capable of saving space becomes impossible. Furthermore, in case of bending long size metallic core materials, a large size machine and mold are required.
With regard to a windshield molding exemplified in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 158908/1985 and U.S. Pat. No. 3851432 or U.S. Pat. No. 4165119, the installation section is embedded in adhesives or connected closely to the windshield. In these cases, in addition to making a successful fit into a part which should be installed curvedly, both storage conditions and transportability can be made excellent, but there arises a problem that a position regulating active force which has a windshield held at a predetermined height cannot be obtained satisfactorily as those exemplified in each Publication.
Furthermore, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 231814/1987, the one transforming a molding seemingly by adding other parts is proposed. According to this means, a form incapable of molding by a cutting process can be molded, but there are also problems that its molding form has some limit and at the same time both a production process and an assembling process for adding parts are increased to cause a poor productivity. Furthermore, one the one hand, as exemplified in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 145414/1984, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 231814/1987, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 291721/1988, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 195032/1989, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 244820/1989, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 269611/1989, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 269612/1989, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 269613/1989 and Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 128411/1989, a molding having a rainwater drain channel is generally known. This rainwater drain channel is arranged to guide rainwater sticking on to a windshield to a desirable section to drain out. In case of arranging a rainwater drain channel like this, a concave drain channel is usually formed in the molding decorative section along the windshield periphery.
With regard to a windshield molding constituted from an elastic body forming the whole of a decorative section having a rainwater drain channel, transformations are apt to be caused to a concave drain channel especially under a high temperature environment, and there will be a high possibility of injuring the rainwater guiding function and the external appearance by, for example, touching it with someone's fingers. In Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 283017/1987, a windshield molding embedding core materials in a decorative section is disclosed, and the decorative section having a rainwater drain channel is reinforced. However, even in this type, core materials are arranged through an overall length of a molding so that the same problems with respect to custody space and the large size of forming machines are raised.
Furthermore, in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 125208/1989 and Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 125209/1989, the same problems still remain.